Shield driving machine for driving tunnels and galleries



April 16, 1968 1 E. GELDMACHER ETAL 3,378,305 SHIELD DRIVING MACHINE FORDRIVlNG TUNNELS AND GALLERIES Filed Feb. 28, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April16, 1968 E. GELDMACHER ETAL 7 305 SHIELD DRIVING MACHINE FOR DRIVINGTUNNELS AND GALLERIES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28, 1966 April 16,1968 E. GELDMACHER ET AL SHIELD DRIVING MACHINE FOR DRIViNG TUNNELS ANDGALLERIES Filed Feb. 28, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent3,378,305 SHIELD DRIVING MACHINE FOR DRIVING TUNNELS AND GALLERIES ErnstGeldmacher, Rheinhausen, Karl Heinz Kenn, Homburg, Werner Popp,Esseu-Bredeney, and Josef Ruse], Bottrop, Germany, assignors toBeteiligungsund Pateutverwaltungsgesellschaft mit heschrankter Haftung,Essen, Germany Filed Feb. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 530,298 Claims priority,application Germany, Feb. 27, 1965, B 80,747 7 Claims. (Cl. 299-33)ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a shielddriving machine for driving tunnels and galleries, which is equippedwith rotatable tools for digging the working.

The invention is characterized primarily in that a supporting wallarranged behind the rotating tools working on the breast of the workingor the head end of the gallery, is divided into superimposed sectionswhich can be moved from a closing position into an opening position andvice versa so that the operator during the working with the rotatingtools, while said sections occupy their open position, will be able toview the breast of the working and to observe the quarrying operationfrom that part of the shield which is located behind the tools.

For purposes of driving tunnels or galleries, shields in the form ofmetal sheet cylinders are employed which are driven by means of pressesin axial direction and which have an end face with a cutting edgeadapted to enter the material into which the shield is to be driven. Theworking or quarrying may be effected manually in conformity withcustomary mining procedures while employing roofing boards as isgenerally required when the materials to be worked are not stable orself-supporting or are only temporarily stable or self-supporting. Forsome time efforts have been made to avoid this manual labor by employingmechanical labor. To this end, usually a rotatable disc has beenemployed which at the breast of the working or the head end of thegallery supports the nonstable or non-self-supporting material and whichcarries rotating or shaving or scraping tools. Such disc, however,impedes the view of the machine operator so that dangerous situationsmaybe encountered. Thus, for instance, there exists the danger that atthe terrain surface settlements occur in view of a non-controllable flowof the material being worked. Furthermore, material may flow in anuncontrolled manner into recesses which are formed by the tools on thedisc during the helical path of such tools.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a shielddriving machine which will overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.

It is another object of this invention to provide a shield drivingmachine which will permit the operator properly to watch the operationof the tools in the material being worked.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a shield drivingmachine in which the mechanical working thereof can be easily observedand controlled so as to permit an easy locating of rocks and bouldersand the removal thereof.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specification in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical axial section through a shield of a driving machineaccording to the present invention during a mechanical workingoperation.

3,378,305 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 FIG. 2 shows a vertical axial sectionthrough the front portion of the shield when effecting manual working.

FIG. 3 illustrates a section along the line III-III of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view of FIG. 1 as seen in the direction of the arrow IV inFIG. 1.

A shield driving machine according to the present invention ischaracterized primarily in that a supporting wall arranged behind therotating tools working on the breast of the working or the head end. ofthe gallery is divided into superimposed sections which can be movedfrom a closing position into an opening position and vice versa. Whensaid sections occupy their opening positions, they will during theworking with the rotating tools permit the operator to view the breastof the working and to observe the working or quarrying operaion fromthat part of the shield which is located behind the tools. When saidsections are in their closing positions, they close the space at thebreast of the working directly behind the rotating tools. The saidsections, in order to permit manual working, are furthermoredisplaceable in axial direction independently of each other and are alsoadjustable so as to occupy their closing or opening positions. The saidsections of the supporting walls may be formed by horizontal stripswhich in the manner of shutters are tiltable from the opening positions,in which the surfaces of said strips are substantialy horizontal, totheir closing positions in which the surfaces of said strips aresubstantially vertical.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the shield 1 formed by a sheetmetal cylinder has its upper front end face 2 protruding andedge-shaped. In the interior of said shield there is provided abox-shaped platform 3 having journalled therein a scraping spindlesupport 4 which is axially displaceable and is coaxial with regard tothe tunnel profile being driven. The front end of said shield 1 carriesa disc cutter 5 and a radially arranged scraping spindle 6.The spindlesupport 4 is driven by a driving unit 7 arranged in the interior ofplatform 3. By means of a further driving unit 8 arranged in saidplatform 3, the scraping spindle 6 together with the cutter headsthereon is rotated about it axis. Disc cutter 5 is advantageously by anyconvenient means (not illustrated) rotated in a direction opposite tothe direction of rotation of the spindle support 4. For purposes ofdriving shield 1, there is provided a plurality of press cylinders 9which are arranged on the inside of shield 1 and the piston rods ofwhich rest each by means of a shoe 10 in axial direction against tubingstructure 11. The press cylinders 9 are combined to a plurality ofgroups which for purposes of aligning the shield may be actuatedindividually. The material loosened by the tools 5 and 6 is picked up bytwo scraper chains 12 which in the interior of shield 1, closely abovethe lower range of the cylinder surface of said shield, arecounter-currently reciprocated at both sides of the vertical axial planeclosely behind the cutting edge 2 in the direction toward the center.The material thus scraped together is then conveyed between therearwardly rising chains 12 to a steep conveyor belt 13. Belt 13 conveysthe material which is elevated in a cutout of platform 3 toward the rearonto a conveyor belt 14. The steep conveyor belt 13 has its lowerportion surrounded by a sheet metal cover 15 which forms a portion of awater-tight closure of that portion of the completed tunnel which islocated behind the breast 16 of the working. This closure is interruptedsolely by an opening 17 in platform 3 through which opening extends thesteep conveyor belt 13. This opening is so arranged that a water lockwill be formed which brings about that if considerable quantities ofWater are encountered at the breast of the working, the water can bedammed up by the overpressure prevailing in the built-up tunnel.

At the upper side of platform 3, the said tight closure is provided witha personnel sluice comprising doors 18.

In conformity with the present invention, behind the scraping spindle 6there are provided supporting boards 19 to 26 which are horizontallyarranged in such a way that, as shown in FIG. 2, together they will forma supporting Wall. At the level of the tunnel axis there are providedtwo supporting boards 22, 23 which are arranged on both sides of thespindle support 4 whereas above and below said support 4 there areprovided supporting boards 19, 20, 21 and 24, 25, 26 which extend overthe entire width of the respective tunnel section. At the ends of thesupporting boards, the triangular gusset-shaped places are filled-in bywall sections 27 which are firmly arranged on shield 1. Each supportingboard is supported by two hydraulic supporting presses the cylinders 28of which are fastened in the interior of the rump of shield 1. The endsof the supporting boards are mounted by means of two rods 29 each whichare guided in the cylinders 28. This is effected by means of joints 30having horizontal transverse axes. For purposes of tilting thesupporting boards in the joints, there are provided hydraulic tiltingmeans 31 the cylinders and piston rods of which are respectively linkedto rods 29 and the supporting boards. By means of said tiltingmechanisms 31, the supporting boards 19 to 26 can be held in theirvertical positions according to FIG. 1. In this position, between thelongitudinal edges of two superimposed supporting boards there willremain gaps of such width that roofing boards 32 can be passedtherethrough in horizontal arrangement.

During working stoppages or intermissions, the supporting boards 19 to26 may be moved into their vertical positions shown in FIG. 1 in whichthey form a closure wall directly behind the scraping spindle 6, saidwall extending over the entire inner cross section of shield 1. Thehydraulic presses 28, 29 and the tilting mechanisms 31 are so stronglydesigned that they are able to hold the supporting boards in thisposition even if flowing material should exert a considerable pressureupon the supporting boards.

When stable material is to be worked by means of tools 5, 6, thesupporting boards are by means of the tilting mechanisms 31 in themanner of shutters tilted toward the rear by 90. It will then bepossible from platform 3 through windows in the closure wall through thelarge gaps between the rearwardly tilted supporting boards to observethe breast of the working and the operation of the tools. Consequently,it is possible to take appropriate steps when any danger occurs. Thus,if individual sections of the breast of the working have the tendency toflow, it is possible by taking suitable steps to effect a limitedconsolidation of the material. Rocks and boulders can easily be observedand located and eliminated. To this end, inside the shield 1 within therange of its zenith portion there is provided a hoist, for instance atrolley 32:: movable on a longitudinal rail. A similar hoist 33 isprovided in the built-out tunnel section. The rearwardly tiltedsupporting boards also permit the taking of samples from the breast ofthe working.

The mechanical working is for instance effected by advancing shield 1 bymeans of the presses 9 while the scraping spindle, which rotates aboutits axis but during the first phase does not rotate about the tunnelaxis, as well as the disc cutter 5 are likewise advanced with saidshield 1. After the advance or feeding operation has been completed, thescraping spindle 6 is turned about the tunnel axis over the completeangular range of 360 so that a slice with the free diameter of theshield and a thickness corresponding to the feeding stroke will beremoved from the material being worked. When safe material is involved,it is possible in order to save time, instead to work helically byrotating the scraping spindle 6 during the feeding operation of shield 1about the axis of spindle support 4. During this operation, relativelylow feeding forces will occur in presses 9 so that the tubing lining 11will be subjected to minor stresses. A further A possibility ofmechanically working consists in first advancing shield 1 and thereuponthe scraping spindle 6 and subsequently thereto the disc cutter 5 withthe scraping spindle support 4 and only then to turn the spindle 6 aboutthe tunnel axis. If a considerable overlapping of the working operationby the shield is desired, it is also possible to cause the scrapingspindle 6 to work in a corresponding rearward position.

The material loosened by the tools is picked up and conducted away bythe scraper chains 12, the steep conveyor belt 13 and the conveyor 14.

The manual working of non-stable or only slightly stable material startswith the forward pressing of shield 1 into the material being workedwhile the supporting boards stay back in upright position. Thereupon,first the uppermost supporting board 19 is tilted toward the rear whilethe upper edge of the supporting board 20 therebelow is still located inthe flowing shadow of the material standing thereabove. Thereupon, firstwithin the range of the upper supporting board 19, the manual working ofthe material may be effected and subsequently roofing boards 32 aredriven forward and the uppermost supporting board 19 is righted andpressed forwardly by the feeding stroke of the shield. Thereupon thesupporting board 20 therebelow may be tilted toward the rear, and thematerial below the roofing board 32 driven below board 20 and board 19may be worked. Thereafter, supporting board 20 is again righted anddriven forwardly.

FIG. 2 shows the condition in which the two upper supporting boards 19,20 have been advanced while the supporting board 21 has been tiltedbackwardly and retracted while the boards 22 to 26 therebelow in arearward location damm up the material. The supporting boards in theirrespective rearwardly tilted position form a platform for the operator.The roofing boards 32 are held on shield 1 by means of guiding strips orguiding rails. The manual working may be effected in conformity withcustomary mining procedures.

The conversion from mechanical working to manual working can be effectedin a very short time. To this end, the supporting boards 19 to 21 and 24to 26 are advanced. The scraping spindle after having planed the breast16 of the working by a rotation without a feeding stroke, is turned intoa horizontal position and is pulled rearwardly through a gap betweenboards 21 and 24 and is withdrawn. Thereupon, also the supporting boards22, 23 are moved forwardly. In this way, a supporting wall is createdwhich will provide a safeguard against a flowing of the material on thebreast of the working. The manual working can then be effected in theabove described manner in a downward direction and successively.

Following each advancing stroke of shield 1, a new ring of tubing 34 isadded to the tubing lining 11. For purposes of lifting the individaultubings, there is provided a ring 35 which by means of rollers 36 isrotatably journalled on an annular rail 37 near the periphery of thecylinder of the shield rump. This ring may be provided with a device 38for mounting the tubings. By means of this device, the tubings may bemounted in a proper way at the respective areas while the lifting iseffected by rotation of ring 5. To this end, ring 35 is provided with aleaf or" a pinion engaged by a pinion 40 operable by a motor 39. Bymeans of this ring, which extends around platform 3 and steep conveyor13 while being sufficiently spaced therefrom, the tubings can be raisedwithout being affected by said structural elements.

Shield 1 is with regard to the tunnel sealed at its tail end by asealing ring 41. The machine is also provided with auxiliary devices notshown in the drawing, as for instance a mud water pump, a control panelfor electric and hydraulic control circuits, and a carriage for carryingadditional devices.

As will be evident from the above, the machine according to the presentinvention has the great advantage that the mechanical working can beproperly controlled. The working operation can be observed at all timesand it is possible to withdraw samples and to etfect localconsolidations and to eliminate rocks and boulders. The changeover frommechanical working when a stable breast of working is encountered tomanual working when flowing material is encountered, can be effected inthe shortest possible time.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular arrangement and construction shown inthe drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A shield driving machine, especially for driving tunnels andgalleries, which includes: a shield, rotatable tool means for diggingthe working, supporting wall means arranged within said shield andclosely in front of said tool means when looking from the interior ofsaid shield toward said tool means, said supporting wall meanscomprising a plurality of superimposed wall sections respectively andselectively movable from a closed position in which said wall sectionsclose otf the interior of said shield with regard to said rotatableto-ol means to an: open position in which said wall sections permitobservation of said tool means from the interior of said shield and alsopermit observation of the working, said wall sections also being movablefrom their open positions to their closed positions, and control meansopera-tively connected to said wall sections and operable toindividually adjust said Wall sections in said axial direction of saidshield.

2. A machine according to claim 1, in which the wall sections of saidsupporting wall means are composed of substantially horizontallyextending strip means tiltably arranged so that their major surfaces aremovable [from a substantially vertical position into a substantiallyhorizontal position and vice versa.

3. A machine according to claim 1, in which said c0n- 6 trol means forindividually adjusting said wall sections are -formed by fluid operablecylinder piston means.

4. A machine according to claim 1, which includes fluid operablecylinder piston means operatively connected to said wall sections formoving the same firom their closed positions to their open positions andvice versa.

5. A machine according to claim 1, which includes a platform arranged insaid shield at approximately the level of its longitudinal axis andextending in axial direction of said shield, and water-tight closuremeans arranged above and below said platform.

6. A machine according to claim 1, which includes a platform arranged insaid shield at approximately the level of its longitudinal axis andextending in axial direction of said shield, said platform beingprovided with a passage, and conveyor means extending into said passagefrom the lower portion of said shield.

7. A machine according to claim 1' which includes ring means arrangedinfront of said supporting wail means when looking from the interior ofsaid shield toward said tool means, said ring means being rotatableabout the axis of a tunnel being driven by said machine, and tubingmounting means supported by said ring means for lifting tubing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 340,759 4/1886 Brown 299- 56 X658,366 9/1900 Hastings 6185 674,415 5/1901 Hough 29958 X 675,355 5/1901MacI-Iarg 6l--85 774,546 11/1904 Aims 6185 1,173,158 2/1916 Arden 61852,208,608 7/1940 Stanley 61--85 ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner.

